Partners Against Crime
by InsomniacChocoholic
Summary: All through Scorpius' years at Hogwarts, Rose and her family have been making his life a living hell. Now, after completing Auror training abroad, he's back, and changed for the better. The only problem is, his new partner against crime is Rose Weasley...
1. Prologue

-**Prologue-**

_Damn, it's good to be Scorpius Malfoy. _

I smirk at the tall, leggy blonde who's leaving my room - or rather, sashaying out of it. She's satisfied. I, however, am even more satisfied. Like I said, it's good to be Scorpius Malfoy.

It wasn't always, though. Before I turned tall-fit-playboy, I was awkward-scrawny-nerd. That might have been bearable, too, if it wasn't for Rose Weasley and her family.

The first time I got on the Hogwarts Express, I was so excited. A small, skinny, pale boy whose only company had been books, a house elf, and the occasional albino peacock. Real people! I was going to meet kids my age, have friends, and a social life to speak of. Or so I thought.

Instead, the first carriage I walked into had second-year James Potter in it. My dad had pointed him out on the platform. I walked up to James and stuck out my hand to shake. "Hello, I'm Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy."

"Oh, I know," smirked a blond boy sitting across from him. "Look at him, eh James? Thinks he's the Hippogriff's beak."

"You know his dad, right, Louis?" asked James of the other boy, but sneered at me.

"The Death Eater? Oh, for sure."

My lip trembled. I hated people calling dad that. He'd told me the whole story and he wasn't evil. "He's not a Death Eater. He- he just made mistakes."

"One of them is standing right here," smirked James. My eyes smarted, and I turned to leave.

I got sorted into Ravenclaw, and called a nerd for it. James was in Gryffindor, of course, the golden boy.

That was basically my whole first year. James making fun of me, other people going along with it because they thought he was funny. Malfoy is a loser. Malfoy's dad was a Death Eater. Malfoy's going the same way.

Except for Rose, who was put into Slytherin. She would just look on with eyes that said she didn't approve. But she never said anything to stop them either.

Second year came around, and I was wary. I stayed out of James' way as far as possible. But they got me once, by stretching a thin thread across the corridor. I fell, my books going all over the place, my nose hitting the stone floor hard. They laughed and walked off, and I couldn't get up because of the pounding in my head.

Then Rose came along. She was shocked to see me sprawled out, leading me to believe she didn't have any idea of the prank. She helped me pick up my books and walked me to the hospital wing, where Madam Pomfrey healed my broken, bloody nose. From then on, I idolized Rose as my saviour.

Third year, and I had a massive crush on Rose. But she'd changed. She didn't seem to care when James bothered me, she paid more attention to her appearance and friends. Gone were the bouncy red curls, along came the straight, silky locks. I learned she was trying to make friends with a group of snobbish girls in her dorm. But they snubbed her sometimes, and I felt that she didn't deserve that.

One day, I found her by herself in an empty corridor, and asked her if she would go to Hogsmeade with me. She just looked horrified, and then the girls from her dorm turned the corner and began laughing at me. She looked unsure, glancing from me to them and began laughing too.

From that point on, life in Hogwarts was a hellhole. But I never told my parents about it, because they would have spoken to Headmistress McGonagall, who would have reprimanded the students, but would also have earned me the title of sneak.

So I struggled along. I got the position of seeker on the Quidditch team, because I was small and fast. But during my first game, James and his friends made me... a cheer.

_Malfoy is our King_

_Malfoy is our King _

_He drops the Snitch and lets us win_

_Malfoy is our King_

I got so nervous I nearly fell off my broom and didn't even come close to seeing the Snitch. I quit after that game.

The only thing that came easy throughout Hogwarts was marks. I got all my OWLs. I didn't tell anyone, but one of Rose's friends saw and told the whole school for me. Everyone, including Rose, laughed.

Then I got made a prefect for some reason. My patrol partner was Albus, who was quiet so we got on fine. But once we split up to patrol, and I came across Rose snogging a boy in seventh year. After he left, she screamed at me for stalking her and embarrassing her constantly. That was when I finally let go of my idealized version of her I'd been holding on to. Beautiful but horrible. That was Rose Weasley.

To add to my misery, the teachers made us joint Heads in seventh year. Me because of my academic achievement, Rose because that was what all the students wanted. I was free of James, but I hated sharing a common room with Rose. She would bring in all her friends, and they'd sit in the corner and whisper-gossip, glancing at me every so often until I was sure they were talking about me. So I'd leave, but I had nowhere else to go. I ended up spending my free time in the kitchen with the house elves, who were always happy to see me. I'd stay there till late at night, when I was convinced Rose had left our common room. Then I'd spend the night in the common room, because my dorm-mates were arseholes.

Once I went back to the Heads common room after midnight, and walked in on Rose and some bloke, their shirts half off. That night ended with Rose screaming at me again.

I focused my energies on getting out of Hogwarts. I threw myself into my studies, getting O's on all my NEWTs. I had decided to be an Auror. I needed to know how to take care of myself and defend myself.

I applied to a training program in Denmark, as far away from England as possible. I didn't know what Rose was doing after school, nor did I care. To my surprise, the program accepted me.

I was very nervous on the first day, remembering Hogwarts. I panicked when I saw my roommate. He was tall, muscular, handsome, with strong features, black hair and blue eyes. He introduced himself as Vlad with a very firm handshake. In other words, I was afraid he'd be another James.

In reality, Vlad turned out to be a blessing in disguise. He acknowledged my faults - I was short, scrawny, sickly pale and not particularly athletic, aside from being quick - but he didn't reject me for them. During the physical part of the training program, he helped push my limits. He got me out in the open air more, away from books. He taught me all sorts of sports, including Muggle ones. I had a special knack for rugby.

As a result, I began to put on muscle. The exercise, combined with the nutritious food they served, helped me grow tall - taller even than Vlad, just over six foot three. I stopped looking sickly. Most importantly, my self-confidence improved dramatically.

One night, we went to the nearest town to visit a crowded pub. Vlad had heard it was the most popular place for young wizards and witches to meet. I was shocked beyond belief when two witches walked up to me and began flirting - it had never happened before. I got nervous again and blew it, but Vlad found it funny instead of getting angry. He coached me on how to deal with women, too. Within six months of moving to Denmark, I was a new man.

Vlad and I became very close friends, acting as training partners, wingmen, and even brothers. If we went out to drink, one of us would stay sober so we could Apparate the other back to the training center. If we picked up women, one of us would leave the room to ensure privacy. If one of us was sick or hungover, the other would pick up notes for them during training. I had never had a friend like this before, and it was great. I eventually confided in him and told him all about my experiences at Hogwarts. He cheerful comment on Rose was "that little bitch." We were close enough that he could make fun of my love for books and I could make fun of his Romanian accent.

Whatever happened, I hoped Vlad and I would keep in touch. After all, he was my first real friend.

**-PAC-**

I blink and surface from my reminiscing. Today is my last day here with Vlad. We will get our letters giving us our first posts as Aurors at breakfast.

My alarm goes off and Vlad slips into the room, grinning. "Good night?"

"Yeah," I respond, smiling back. "You?"

He makes a face. "It was her time of the month."

I roll over, laughing. He fixes me with a glare. "I hope you have to go work somewhere in freezing, womanless Siberia, you arse."

"Oh, shut up. I want to get to breakfast before the eggs get cold."

We make it early enough that the eggs are still hot, and my mood stays cheerful. Hopefully Vlad and I will be posted somewhere together.

Owls suddenly fly in from everywhere. A tawny one lands in front of Vlad, and he quickly unrolls the parchment. "Romania. _Again_." He drops his head down onto the table.

A small chestnut one lands in front of me, and I silently wish for Romania before unrolling it and scanning it. "England? _London_? No! No, no, _no_!"

"There's something on the back," points out Vlad. I turn it over.

"My new post-training partner is going to be... _Rose Weasley?!_"

**A/N: this is the first good idea I've had in a while. Love it? Hate it? Let me know what you think! This is just a taster and some background information - my regular chapters will be a lot longer, around 4000-5000 words. **

**Another thing: updates on this fic will be kind of sporadic, since my main focus is still my other fic, the Ten Things I Hate Most. If you haven't read that already, go do so! If you have, welcome back!**

**Please leave a review as feedback for me! **

**Meg xx**


	2. Four Years

_Hate is a strong word  
But I really, really, really don't like you  
Now that it's over  
I don't even know what I liked about you  
Brought you around and you just brought me down  
Hate is a strong word  
But I really, really, really don't like you  
I really don't like you_

_~Hate (I Really Don't Like You) – The Plain White T's_

**Disclaimer: I don't own the world of Harry Potter, only this plot.**

I walk into Malfoy Manor for the first time in four years. It hasn't changed one bit - which is in stark contrast to me. The last time I was here, I was a foot shorter and a whole lot skinnier. Not to mention about one-tenth as secure and confident.

Our house elf, Tibby, runs up to me and hugs my legs. "Master Scorpius is back!"

I smile - Tibby was one of the few things I missed when I left here. "Lovely to see you again, Tibby."

"Master Scorpius is so big," squeaks Tibby, looking up at me in awe.

"Scorpius!" my mum squeals, running into the foyer. She stops short when she sees me. "Oh my goodness!"

"Hi Mum," I smile.

"Your voice! It's deeper! And Scor, you're so tall..."

My dad walks in too, looking shocked. "When did this- what?"

I laugh and give them all hugs. "I know, I've changed. For the better."

"You're so handsome," says Mum sweetly. "There will be no problem finding a lovely witch for you!"

What? No. "If there's any finding to be done, Mum, I'll be doing it, thanks."

"Should Tibby take Master Scorpius' bags up?" Tibby squeaks, then levitates them upstairs without waiting for an answer.

"Thanks, Tibs," I call.

"Why don't you wash up, then we'll talk," suggests Dad. I nod and head upstairs. Tibby's obviously recently cleaned my bathroom, it's got one of those little decorative dragon soaps I used to love. I shake my head at this. It's cute, but they still think I'm a child. I'll have to see what I can do to change that.

After washing my hands and face and combing my hair, I change out of my traveling cloak and pull on some more comfortable clothes. I head downstairs to dinner, where I know Mum and Dad will be waiting for me.

"Tell us everything about Denmark," says Mum immediately.

"I wrote you every week," I remind her. Mum's sweet but she can be a bit suffocating.

"Yes but not what I wanted to hear," she grumbles. "Found a nice witch yet?"

Well, I found plenty, but I only kept them for a night. This probably isn't the right thing to say here, though. "No."

"Scorpius, if you'd just-" She reaches towards my hair.

"I am _not_ slicking back my hair," I snap. I did that all through Hogwarts and look what that got me. I like it messy - and it would appear most women do as well.

"But if you'd just let me-"

"_No_, Mum." I push my food away and storm upstairs. Merlin, they're so pushy. They don't seem to realize that I'm twenty-two! I can handle myself!

That's it. After work tomorrow, I'm getting myself a new apartment.

**-PAC-**

The next morning, I Apparate to the designated spot in Muggle London. I quickly find the public bathroom we're supposed to enter the Ministry through. I'm not exactly sure how exactly this leads in, but I notice several wizards stepping into the stalls and flushing. I walk into one and pull the door shut behind me, then stare at the toilet. There is no way I'm supposed to get into that, surely?

I look under the walls to the next stall and see someone stepping into the toilet and sigh - I suppose this is it. I step in and my shoes stay dry. Thank Merlin!

I pull the flush and zoom down the chute, emerging from a fireplace in the large lobby of the Ministry. The floor is black marble, and the ceiling is impossibly high. In the center of the space stands a large statue of the Golden Trio - Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger - battling, and clearly defeating, several hooded Death Eaters. One of those, it's rumored, was built to resemble my grandfather, and if the blonde hair hanging out of the hood is any indication, the rumor is true. Which is fair enough, he did do some pretty awful things in his time. What I don't like is how that prejudice extends to my dad, who did whatever he did only because he was forced to. Or, worse, that the prejudice extends to me, who had absolutely no involvement in a war that happened before I was born. And while the Golden Trio might be great, their kids certainly aren't, as I've seen from how they treated me at Hogwarts.

I sigh and brush that aside. I have to see Harry Potter today anyway, he's my Head of Department. And Ron Weasley, who is Deputy Head. And Rose, who is my fucking _training partner. _

All my dad said about Harry Potter is that he had a hero complex. I just hope he's nothing like his son, James.

I square my shoulders and walk over to the lift. The board beside it says the Auror Department is on Level Two. When it arrives, I step in with several other wizards and witches, none of whom look as awake as me. They all gape at me, though, and I grit my teeth. This is only the beginning.

I leave the lift with a sense of relief when it reaches my floor. Luckily, there's a board pointing me to the Head Office, so I don't have to wander around like an idiot. I walk quickly down the hallway leading there and knock on the door.

"Come in!"

I open the door, my nervousness flooding back. Behind a large mahogany desk sits a man with black hair and glasses whose plaque proclaims him to be Harry Potter. All I can think is, he looks so much like James. But then he smiles, and I see much more of Al in his expression - kind, tolerant and slightly timid.

"Scorpius." He stands up and shakes my hand warmly. "Welcome to the Auror Department. I'm Harry Potter."

"Thank you, Mr. Potter," I answer easily, my nervousness dissipating. He can't be too stuck up if he feels the need to introduce himself, even though the entire wizarding world knows his life story.

"It's very nice to meet you," Harry says sincerely. "I have heard some very good things about you, from the head of your training program in Denmark. You came in the top of your class in all components of the program!"

"It was very rewarding," I nod.

"So tell me, what made you pick a program so far away from your home?" he asks curiously.

How to answer this? Luckily, I'm saved from the problem when the door flies open, slamming into the wall. I catch it before it can slam shut again and turn to look at the newcomer.

"This cannot be happening!" shouts Rose, and Harry cringes. I take a moment to look her over. She looks even more beautiful than before. Her bright scarlet hair is long, flowing down her back in silky waves. Her skin is creamy with just a few freckles sprayed across her nose and cheeks. Her honey-brown eyes are flashing at Harry as she shakes a piece of parchment in his face. She's filled out, too, clearly not a girl any more. It would seem she hasn't noticed me yet.

"What can't be happening, Rose?" asks Harry patiently.

"I got paired with Malfoy?" she screeches. "Do you know what he did in Hogwarts? He had this fascination with me and he'd follow me around-"

"Rose," Harry cuts her off, gesturing to me.

She turns to face me, her expression still livid, but I have the satisfaction of seeing her eyes pop open at my changed appearance.

"You two were paired up because you're the only two Aurors they posted in England this year," Harry says from behind Rose, diverting my attention. "As you remember, Rose, plenty of people from other countries came to train here, but the British program is slowly shrinking as most of the Dark wizards from Voldemort's reign have been caught."

Rose looks back at him. "So... There's no chance for change, here."

"That is correct," says Harry firmly, rising from his desk. "Now, let me show you to your office."

"Office, singular?" Rose demands as we follow Harry down the hall.

"Yes, you'll be sharing." Harry stares straight ahead, anticipating Rose's reaction.

"You can't be serious," she says disbelievingly. I notice she hasn't said one word to me so far. And I haven't said one word to her either.

"Follow Scorpius' example," replies Harry sharply. "He isn't complaining because he understands the need for maturity as an Auror."

Actually, Scorpius isn't complaining because the Head of Department isn't his uncle and the Deputy Head isn't his father, so he doesn't want to risk his position. But I'm not any happier with the situation than she is.

We continue in silence until reaching a tiny office, with one desk that's divided in half by a rack of folders taking up most of the room. Great. Sparks will fly in this tiny space for sure. Harry hurries out like he knows this, leaving Rose and me to familiarize ourselves with the room - all ten square feet of it.

Once he's left, Rose turns to me. "Look, Malfoy, I don't know where you've been the past four years, nor do I care, but I'll tell you one thing: I don't want you cramping my style. You keep your distance from me outside of work, understand?"

"Trust me, I had more than enough time with you in Hogwarts," I retort angrily, sitting in a chair behind one half of the desk. "I don't want any more."

"Good," she snaps, sitting in the other chair. "I don't want any with you either."

We sit in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes before a short man bursts into the room. "Rose, Scorpius, I have your first assignment."

"Thank you." I stand up and take a file from him.

"I'm Dennis Creevey, by the way," he adds, seeing our looks of confusion. "I'll be back to pick this up in two hours or so." He barrels out of the room, shouting for someone else. Excitable man.

I look down at the folder and pull it open. Inside is a booklet labelled "Know Your Partner."

_Oh, this cannot be good_.

"Let's see," says Rose, leaning over and pulling it from me, her hair brushing my arm. She opens the booklet and gasps. "We have to ask each other these questions - oh, Merlin."

I take a look and they're all pretty personal questions. Great. We're going to end up ripping one another apart.

"I'll go first." She holds up the booklet. "Full name?"

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy." I glare at her, daring her with my eyes to make fun of my middle name, as she and her cousins had done all through school. But she ignores it and moves on to the next question.

"Family?"

"Mother, father and house elf."

She looks surprised. "You consider your house elf family?"

"What? You think my family still abuses elves and goblins and all?" It comes out a little more harshly than I had intended. She flushes a little and moves on to the next question. "Hobbies?"

"Quidditch, piano, rugby, and murdering Muggles for fun." Maybe I'm still a little bitter about my Hogwarts years.

"I get it," she snaps, abandoning the emotionless façade. "You're pissed off. But that was years ago. Just let it go, already."

"I would if it seemed like you had changed, or actually regretted it," I say calmly. "Go on, please."

"Living space?"

"A manor in Scotland." Everyone knows where we live, though. Despite being in the middle of nowhere, the Manor gets egged every Halloween.

"Experience with the Muggle world?"

"Muggle books, Muggle movies, Muggle cars, Muggle women..." I smirk when she raises her head to glare at me.

"Greatest accomplishment to date, in your opinion?"

"Topping my Auror class," I reply confidently.

"Your greatest flaw, in your opinion? I can think of a few," she mutters.

"The fact that I'm too nice to some people who deserve to be dropped off a broom."

She grits her teeth, but continues. "Do you have any significant goals for the future?"

"I want to be head of the Auror department someday."

She says nothing, but passes me the folder. I pick it up and read her out the same questions. "Full name?"

"Rose Nymphadora Weasley."

This surprises me. I didn't know she was named after my late aunt. But I don't show it, I just continue. "Family?"

"Mother, father, brother." She fidgets with the hem of her skirt.

"Hobbies?"

"Reading, Quidditch, playing the guitar."

This is going surprisingly civilly. I begin to feel hopeful that maybe I won't have to fight with her every day we work together. Even though I don't like her, I can endure this. "Living space?"

"A flat in Muggle London."

"Experience with the Muggle world?"

"Everything." She hasn't made eye contact with me yet or even responded in a full sentence. I just know she's holding things back. Not that it matters, I honestly don't give a shit about her life story. She ruined a large part of mine. But I have to do this for the job.

"Greatest accomplishment?"

"Topping my Auror class."

Again, this surprises me. In Hogwarts, she was just a stereotypical dumb bitch. She never got great marks. Maybe she bribed her Head of Training.

"Greatest personal flaw?"

She bites her lip. "Um... Next question."

_Of course, Rose Weasley doesn't have any flaws_.

I bite back the sharp remark and continue. "Future goals?"

"To be head of this department someday." Her head snaps up and he makes eye contact with me as she says this for the first time.

_Well, there goes civility_.

We get up and walk back to Harry's office in silence to hand back the folder. He seems pleased that we completed the assignment and tells us once we can leave.

We both head to the lift. Rose's brother runs into us in the corridor. "Rosie!"

"Hey, Hu." She ruffles his hair affectionately, even though he's quite a bit taller than her. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to see how you were on your first day of work," he says, hugging her. "Had a light workload today down at St. Mungo's. Only two cases to assist with."

He notices me for the first time and nods. "Malfoy."

I don't particularly have a problem with Hugo; he was two years below me at Hogwarts and hardly spoke to me. So I nod back and continue towards the lift. The sooner I can leave here, the better.

**-PAC-**

Mum hugs me as soon as I walk into the house. "Scorpius! How was your very first day, my little boy?"

"Fine." I duck away from her hand, which is attempting to flatten my hair. "I need to go wash, Mum, if you'll excuse me."

I quickly head upstairs to my room, where I close the door. Again, I thank my stars my parents are in a separate wing from me. As it is, I'm being mollycoddled.

As I change and wash up, my thoughts drift to work today. Undoubtedly, until I can get a new partner or even get a new post, my life is going to be hellish.

I mean, what the fuck is with Rose? Something's going on with her, I know that much. She was rude to me and horrible to Harry, yet so loving towards her brother.

And then there's the fact that she drives me round the fucking twist. It's been four years, and still.

I sigh and pull on some comfortable clothes. I'm just going to have to learn to deal with it. But I swear, as soon as possible, I'm applying to change my position to Romania.

**-PAC-**

"Scorpius, you know you're supposed to dress for dinner," Dad says with an edge to his voice, eyeing my jeans distastefully.

This makes me say it. "I want to get a place of my own."

Mum drops her fork. "What?"

"I'll rent a flat in Muggle London," I add, picking up a copy of the Prophet. Some stupid story about how James Potter caught the Snitch in under ten minutes for the Wasps on the front page. Of course, he's a famous Quidditch player now.

"But why?" Mum still hasn't picked up her fork and Dad is looking at me like I've suddenly announced my wish to live amongst the garden gnomes.

_Because I don't want to constantly tell you what I'm doing. Because I don't want you constantly telling me what to do_. "It'll be closer to work, I won't have to Apparate."

"But you'll have to cook and clean and do your own laundry-"

"I can take care of myself," I interrupt. "I'm twenty-two, in case you hadn't noticed."

"We know that," says Dad. "Only, why would you feel the need to if we are here for you?"

"I'm not going to live here forever. Might as well learn now."

Mum and Dad exchange a long, loaded glance before finally turning to me and nodding.

"One condition, though," Mum says.

"You cannot decorate my flat," I instantly say.

Her face falls a little bit. "Fine. But would you come home for dinner once a week?"

"Of course!" I reach across the table to pat her hand. "Mum, Dad, I love you both, I just need to grow up a little."

"My baby!" Mum tears up and I sigh, passing her a napkin.

"Can we at least find you a house elf?" suggests Dad.

I shake my head. "I want to do everything on my own. I'm good enough at Charms to be able to clean and cook."

Dad claps me on the shoulder as if he approves, and I smile. I do love them, and I would never want to hurt them. Only - a man needs his space sometimes!

As Mum's sniffing turns into sobbing and then full-out bawling, I resolve to begin the house hunt tomorrow.

**A/N: Thanks for the awesome response I got to this story! I'll try to keep to semi-regular updates, but school is starting soon, so no promises. One thing about this story: it's also a spotlight piece on the issue of bullying. I've pulled from my own experiences and the experiences of those close to me to make it as realistic as possible. That said, Scorpius and Rose will not just jump into each other's arms – there is far too much history between them. Also, while there will be some humour in this story, it's not going to be a comedic story like my other one, it's really a lot darker so if such things bother you, you might want to be cautious. That's all. :)**

**Once again thanks for reviewing and keep 'em coming please! :D Next chapter: Scorp and Rose have to deal with Ginny, and Scorp buys a house.**

**~Meg xx**


	3. Love Thy Neighbour

_God must hate me_

_He cursed me for eternity_

_God must hate me_

_Maybe you should pray for me_

_~God Must Hate Me - Simple Plan_

**Disclaimer: the usual.**

"Just _fall_, Rose!"

Harry swipes at his forehead in frustration. Day two of work here at the Ministry is even more horrific than day one. Today we have to learn to "trust our partners." No way in hell that's happening here.

So we have to fall backwards and have the other person catch us, which apparently builds trust. Right now I'm behind Rose, holding out my arms and she's supposed to fall into me. It's been twenty minutes and she hasn't fallen yet - all she's done is bend herself backward almost double.

"Alright, let's try Scorpius falling," sighs Harry.

I move so Rose is behind me, and again can't bring myself to fall. Even if I trusted her to catch me - which I don't - there would still be the issue that she's about half my size. We spend a few minutes trying to get me to let go, then Harry switches us back again. This goes on for a couple of hours and that is no exaggeration.

Eventually, when its almost lunch, a red haired woman walks in and kisses Harry on the cheek. "How are you, Harry?"

Harry sighs. "Well..."

This woman, whom I deduce to be Ginny Potter, looks at Rose and me. "Trust falls?"

We nod.

"They're not falling?" she asks Harry.

"No, they're not." He sighs again.

Ginny looks at us. "So Harry is telling you to fall, but you aren't falling?"

We nod nervously.

"_Well, why the hell not?!_" she screeches and we jump.

"Aunt Ginny, you see-" begins Rose, but Ginny cuts her off.

"No buts!" shouts Ginny. "Harry tells you to fall, you fall!"

Rose, who is in front of me right now, immediately falls backwards and I catch her.

"Now you," says Ginny, pointing at me.

I move to stand in front of Rose. "Er, I don't know if-"

"FALL, DAMMIT!"

I fall backwards immediately. Surprisingly, Rose catches me with a little grunt. I thought there was no way she could hold me up.

Either way, I get off her as quickly as possible. Ginny nods at the pair of us, kisses Harry on the cheek with a deceptively sweet smile, and saunters out of the room.

With a mother like that, it's a wonder James doesn't have better manners.

**-PAC-**

Once I leave the Ministry, I walk along the streets until I find a Muggle real estate office. Naturally I'm not wearing robes; they'd find that odd.

A woman who seems to be in her mid-twenties, wearing a short skirt and business jacket, immediately pounces on me. "How can I help you?"

"I'm looking to buy a flat nearby."

"That's generally why people come in here, Marcie," calls a man, walking by with a coffee cup balanced on top of a stack of papers. "Don't get your hopes up."

She frowns at him and turns back to me. "How much space are you looking for? How many rooms?"

"One bedroom is fine," I shrug. "There doesn't have to be too much space."

"Oh, so you're living by yourself?" She sounds very interested. Too interested. The man who walked by us sets his papers down on the reception desk and coughs conspicuously.

"I can take you out to look at houses right now, if you're free," she suggests.

"Weren't you just on break?" calls the man from the desk.

"Anything for a customer," she responds smoothly, holding out her hand to me. "I'm Marcie, by the way."

"Sam," I lie, shaking her hand. Scorpius is a little too wizard-ish.

"So are you free now to look at flats?"

The man coughs again.

"Actually I have some errands to run, what if I come back here in an hour?" I offer.

"See you in an hour, Sam." She smiles at me like a shark.

I leave the office and find a deserted alley. When no one's looking, I Transfigure some old newspapers into legal documents for someone named Samuel Mesher, who looks just like me. Then I head to the bank, to set up a Muggle bank account. If I'm to be living in the Muggle world, I'll need some of their money. And, of course, to pay for my flat. I deposit some money I had converted earlier to use and head back to the real estate office.

Marcie is sitting in a chair in the front. It looks like she's redone her makeup - her lips are now bright red and her eyes are extremely dark. I smirk inwardly.

"Let's go!" she trills, picking up a folder and almost skipping out of the door. I follow her out.

"Are you looking for somewhere close to here?" she asks.

"That would be nice."

"Alright, I have a few places," she says, consulting her folder. "All of them are near tube stops."

"That's perfect." There's a tube stop very near Ministry entrances, so I won't have to walk too much or buy a car.

We descend into the nearest tube station. Luckily, I have enough change on me for a few rides. I vow to buy a card later.

Marcie gets off a few stops later and I follow her. Once above ground and on the street, she leads me to a three-storey building two blocks over.

"Your flat is on the ground floor," she tells me, using a key from a large ring to let us in.

I walk in and immediately dislike the place. The ceiling is barely two inches above my head and it seems like I could bump my head on the doorways. Plus, there isn't too much natural light.

"Not this one," I say to Marcie. "Is there perhaps a flat on the top floor of a building?"

She nods and leads me out of this building and into one a few blocks over.

"You don't mind walking up a few flights of stairs, do you?" she calls over her shoulder.

I watch her arse as she climbs - very nice one, I have to admit. "No problem."

The flat she shows me this time has high ceilings and plenty of light, but there's an odd smell and the floor is covered with a filthy carpet. Also, the walls are a disgusting vomit colour.

"You can replace those easily," says Marcie quickly, seeing my expression.

I nod and continue looking through the house. The bathroom is horrible and the bedroom is a sickly shade of pink. What's more, there is mold along the spot where the wall meets the ceiling. I step backwards onto a rug and my foot goes right through the floor.

"I don't think this one will work," I murmur.

Marcie looks embarrassed and leads me out of the flat, promising that the next one will be better.

A few blocks over, she leads me into a charming red brick building with black window shutters. On the top floor, she unlocks the door and lets me in.

This place is perfect, I know right away. The floors are in a light wood, the ceilings are tall and everything is in good repair. There's a stone fireplace on one wall and a large sliding door leading out to a balcony on the other, which gives it plenty of light. The kitchen is a bit small, but I don't see myself spending too much time there anyhow. The balcony is right across from the building on the other side of the street, but at least whoever lives in the flat across from mine doesn't hang their laundry out. Instead, they have a table and chair set and a few flowery hanging baskets.

Marcie leads me back to the bedroom, which has a good amount of space for me. The bathroom is clean and in full working order, always a plus. The light wood floors and high ceilings continue through out the flat.

"I will take this one," I say immediately.

"Are you sure you don't want to look around a little first?" Marcie suggests. "You don't even know the price yet."

"I'm sure it will be fine," I say dismissively. Money isn't too much of an object, as spoilt as that sounds.

We walk downstairs and step out onto the narrow street. Marcie hands me some papers from her folder - the deeds to the house - and I sign them after giving them a quick read. No renovations without the landlord's permission, no excessive noise, no reneging on the deal. Shouldn't be a problem.

"Come by to the office tomorrow and we can arrange the payment," smiles Marcie. "And if you need anything... anything at _all_... don't hesitate to call me."

She tucks a card into my hand and repeats, "Anything." Then she smiles like a shark again and leaves. I look down at the card. It isn't a business card, but has just her name and phone number on it. I've met less obvious women, but I could work this to my advantage.

I get a feeling on the back of my neck like I'm being watched and look around me. Across the street, I notice Rose, of all people, glaring at me as usual. She hoists her handbag further up her shoulder and starts marching across the street towards me.

"Who was that?" she snarls, pointing in the direction Marcie had gone. "Your detective?"

I was not expecting this accusation. "What?"

"The detective you apparently hired to find out where I live," she snaps.

My heart drops into my stomach and a feeling of foreboding fills me. "Wait... You live in this building?"

I gesture to the building behind me, and she shakes her head. "No, I don't."

"Oh, thank Merlin." My shoulders sag with relief.

"I live there," she adds, pointing to the building behind here. The one with the balcony and the flower baskets.

"Oh, hell!" I drop my face into my hands and pace away from her. No, no, no, no, no. This cannot be happening.

"What is it?" she demands.

"I just signed the papers to that one," I cry, pointing up at the balcony.

Her mouth drops open in horror. "You mean... we live right across the street from each other?!"

I nod mutely.

"Ugh!" She stamps her foot. "Don't buy it then!"

"I wish I could do that!" I snap. "But I already signed the papers and I can't renege!"

She growls in frustration and stomps back across the street to her own building.

Perfect. This year is going to be just _perfect_.

**A/N: hey guys, thanks for your response to last chapter! This one was a little short but as you can tell, it set up several things for future chapters. **

**Also, Partners Against Crime has been added to a community! This makes me so happy! Go check out the community, it's called Au Contaire, there are some good stories on there. **

**On a more serious note, I would like you all to help with something. I as a rule don't believe in censorship, say what you want to and all that, but there is a story on here that not only graphically describes pedophilia but glorifies it. It even involves a newborn baby and I think this just isn't correct. A few other authors and I have reported it but FF seems to be taking no notice of the problem. So if you guys could all go find it and report it, I would really appreciate it. If you google "good times twilight fanfiction" it should come up. If you do report it, thank you so much for your time and effort. **

**So back to happier topics, what do you guys think will happen, now that Rose and Scorp live right across from each other? Don't forget to review! (Sorry for my Titanic sized author's note!)**

**~Meg xx**


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